Impacts of the 2026 US-Iran War on Environmental Security in the Middle East

Salam Abdulqadir Abdulrahman

doi:10.63095/NBSEH.26.903288

Authors

Salam Abdulqadir Abdulrahman College of Law and Politics, University of Human Development (https://ror.org/02jz38b76), Sulaymaniyah 46001, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63095/NBSEH.26.903288

Keywords:

2026 US-Iran war, Environmental security, Insecurities, Iran, Arab Gulf states

Abstract

Modern warfare does not merely inflict human casualties; it also degrades the environmental systems vital for daily life. The 2026 US-Iran conflict poses a severe threat to regional ecosystems, as belligerents deliberately target critical infrastructure and weaponize natural resources to secure military advantages or compel concessions. Oil and gas tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, alongside refineries and energy installations throughout Iran and the Arab Gulf states, have emerged as primary targets. This destruction extends rapidly into urban areas, presenting catastrophic risks to both civilian populations and ecological stability. Wartime environmental destruction triggers long-term insecurities that far outlast any formal peace agreement.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2026, 2026 Iran war. Encyclopaedia Britannica October. https://www.britannica.com/event/2026-Iran-war

American Jewish Committee (AJC), 2026, The Iran Strikes, Explained: How We Got Here and What It Means, 20 July. Available online at: https://www.ajc.org/news/the-iran-strikes-explained-how-we-got-here-and-what-it-means (accessed 1 August 2026)

Council on Foreign Relations, 2026, Iran’s war with Israel and the United States. Global Conflict Tracker, July 29. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/confrontation-between-united-states-and-iran

Wirtu YD. and Abdela U., 2025, Impact of war on the environment: ecocide. Frontiers in Environmental Science 13, 1539520. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1539520

Senate Democrats, 2026, Transcript: President Trump speaks with Brian Kilmeade of Fox News Radio interviews, 3.13.26, March 13). https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/trump-transcripts/transcript-president-trump-speaks-with-brian-kilmeade-of-fox-news-radio-interviews-31326

Amnesty International, 2026, Iran: President Trump’s apocalyptic threats of large-scale civilian devastation demand urgent global action to prevent atrocity crimes; April 7. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/04/iran-president-trumps-apocalyptic-threats-of-large-scale-civilian-devastation-demand-urgent-global-action-to-prevent-atrocity-crimes/

Gritten, D., 2026, Trump condemned over threat that Iran’s ‘civilisation will die’. BBC News, April 7. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyk7xgkzvzo

Roll Call, 2026, Interview: Brian Kilmeade of Fox News Radio interviews Donald Trump for his radio show—March 13, 2026. https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-interview-brian-kilmeade-fox-news-radio-march-13-2026/

Ellis-Petersen, H., 2026, Why Iran’s threat to destroy water facilities could spell disaster for Gulf countries. The Guardian, March 23. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/23/iran-threat-to-destroy-water-facilities-gulf

Lawal, S., 2026, What are ‘civilian’ sites in international law and where have US, Iran hit? Al Jazeera, July 20. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/what-are-civilian-sites-in-international-law-and-where-have-us-iran-hit

Schmitt, M., 2026, When civilian infrastructure becomes a lawful target. Just Security, July 23. https://www.justsecurity.org/148907/civilian-infrastructure-becomes-lawful-target/

Christou, W., 2026, US hits civilian infrastructure as it expands strikes against Iran. The Guardian, July 17. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/17/us-marines-board-ship-gulf-oman-expanded-airstrikes-iran

Lister, T., & Ebrahim, N., 2026, Airports, plants and ports: The civilian targets increasingly under threat in the Middle East. CNN, March 30. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/30/world/middle-east-civilian-targets-iran-war-intl

Magee, C., 2026, Why is the US attacking southern Iran’s civilian infrastructure? Al Jazeera, July 17. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/17/why-is-the-us-attacking-southern-irans-civilian-infrastructure

The New Arab Staff & Agencies., 2026, Iran minister says US, Israeli strikes caused ‘heavy damage’ to water, energy infrastructure. The New Arab, March 22. https://www.newarab.com/news/heavy-damage-caused-iran-water-energy-infrastructure

Geneva Environment Network, 2026, Environmental impacts of the conflict in the Middle East, May 30. https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/environmental-impacts-of-the-conflict-in-the-middle-east/

Sajadian, A., & Leber, A., 2026, In the war with Iran, targeting energy infrastructure has outsized impact on civilians. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, July 28. https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2026/07/iran-war-energy-infrastructure-targets-environmental-harms

Abdallah, S., 2026, Desalination in a time of war. Alhurra, March 6. https://alhurra.com/en/15587

Jimmy, U. J., 2026, The American-Iran war and the collapse of Middle East water security. African Water Security Studies (Environmental/Cross-disciplinary) 1(3). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21811954

Maffly, B., 2026, Gulf desalination plants in Iran’s crosshairs. The University of Utah, March 23. https://attheu.utah.edu/law-politics/gulf-desalination-plants-in-irans-crosshairs/

Paddison, L., 2026, There’s a commodity even more vital than oil and gas in the Middle East—and it’s at risk as war heats up. CNN, March 11. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/11/climate/gulf-iran-war-water-desalination

Reuters, 2026, How vulnerable is the Gulf to attacks on desalination plants?, July 21. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/gulf-desalination-plants-lifeline-tens-millions-face-iran-threat-2026-07-21/

Cafiero, G., 2026, War and water in the Gulf. Amwaj.media, August 5. https://amwaj.media/en/article/war-and-water-in-the-gulf

Matchett, G., 2026, Attacks on desalination plants in the Iran war forecast a dark future. Atlantic Council, March 18. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/attacks-on-desalination-plants-in-the-iran-war-forecast-a-dark-future/

Gayle, D., 2026, Severe water stress’: Why desalination plants are the Gulf’s greatest weakness. The Guardian, March 11. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/severe-water-stress-why-desalination-plants-are-gulf-greatest-weakness

Carroll, R., 2026, Oil fires, toxic air and water risks: Environmental cost of Iran war expands to region. Al-Monitor, March 14. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/oil-fires-toxic-air-and-water-risks-environmental-cost-iran-war-expands-region

Mogensen, J. F., 2026, War in Iran spotlights the risk to drinking water for millions in the Persian Gulf. Scientific American, April 28. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/war-in-iran-spotlights-the-risk-to-drinking-water-for-millions-in-the-persian-gulf/

Kebebew, T., 2026, Water under fire: The (il)legality of reprisals against desalination plants. Opinio Juris, March 31. https://opiniojuris.org/2026/03/31/water-under-fire-the-illegality-of-reprisals-against-desalination-plants/

Shehabi, M., 2026, War on Iran: The dangers of attacking water desalination plants in the Gulf. Arab Center Washington DC, April 28. https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/war-on-iran-the-dangers-of-attacking-water-desalination-plants-in-the-gulf/

Ministry of Finance, 2021, Background – Seawater desalination in Israel. Government of Israel, January 26. https://www.gov.il/en/pages/project-water-desalination-background

Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2023, Importance of seawater desalination and wastewater reuse in Israel [Audio podcast episode]. In Water Resources Podcast, September 7. https://wrp.beg.utexas.edu/node/31

Jerusalem Post Staff, 2026, Gov't approves plan to boost desalinated water production using private companies. The Jerusalem Post, June 8. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-898754

Institute for the Study of War, 2026, Iran update special report, April 8. https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-special-report-april-8-2026/

Iran International, 2025, Iran president says capital move now a necessity as water crisis deepens, November 20. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202511209098

Nature Index. (n.d.). Climate change impacts and adaptation in the Middle East. https://www.nature.com/nature-index/topics/l4/climate-change-impacts-and-adaptation-in-the-middle-east (accessed 7 August 2026).

Ranjan, A., & Siddiqui, N., 2026, The Iran war: Attack on thirsty nation. Geopolitical Monitor, June 11. https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-iran-war-an-attack-on-thirsty-nation/ (accessed 7 August 2026).

Demir, Ş., 2026, How the Iran war expanded from military targets to critical infrastructure. Anadolu Agency, August 7. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/how-the-iran-war-expanded-from-military-targets-to-critical-infrastructure/4021273 (accessed 7 August 2026).

Orto, N., 2024, Desalination: Miracle or false hope for the water scarce Gulf countries? Fanack Water, May 28. https://water.fanack.com/publications/desalination-miracle-or-false-hope-for-water-scarce-gulf-countries/ (accessed 8 August 2026).

Daher, H., 2026, Climate change: The silent casualty of war. ORF Middle East, April 14. https://orfme.org/expert-speak/climate-change-the-silent-casualty-of-war/

Cullinane, E., 2026, Does the Iran war really threaten desalination in the Gulf? Global Water Intelligence, March 12. https://www.globalwaterintel.com/articles/does-the-iran-war-really-threaten-desalination-in-the-gulf (accessed 8 August 2026).

Fanack Water Editorial Team, 2026, In the Gulf, water now matters more than oil. Fanack Water, March 23. https://water.fanack.com/gulf-desalination-water-security-war-risk/ (accessed 8 August 2026).

Australian National University. (n.d.). Persian Gulf [Map]. ANU Digital Collections. https://hdl.handle.net/1885/733721724 (accessed 3 August 2026).

Institute for Energy Research., 2025, Persian Gulf oil exports and the Strait of Hormuz, June 30. https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/gas-and-oil/persian-gulf-oil-exports-and-the-strait-of-hormuz/ (accessed 3 August 2026).

Reuters., 2026, Explainer: What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so critical to the world?, April 17. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-strait-hormuz-why-is-it-so-important-oil-2026-04-17/ (accessed 3 August 2026).

Hand, M., 2026, Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed. Seatrade Maritime News, June 20. https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/iran-declares-the-strait-of-hormuz-closed (accessed 4 August 2026).

Al Jazeera, 2026, Iran says Strait of Hormuz passage to be ensured after US pauses operation, May 6. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/6/french-container-ship-struck-in-latest-escalation-at-strait-of-hormuz (accessed 4 August 2026).

ABC News, 2026, Scientists warn of possible invasive species superspreader event due to stalling near Strait of Hormuz, July 25. https://abcnews.com/International/scientists-warn-invasive-species-superspreader-event-due-stalling/story?id=135051186 (accessed 26 July 2026).

Sankaran, V., 2026, How the Strait of Hormuz closure could lead to the spread of invasive species. The Independent, July 29. https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/strait-of-hormuz-closure-iran-war-mussels-barnacles-b3023557.html (accessed 4 August 2026).

Mithika, D., 2026, Assessing the environmental harm of the 2026 Iran war. Development Aid, May 14. https://www.developmentaid.org/news-stream/post/206959/environmental-harm-of-the-2026-iran-war (accessed 10 August 2026).

Conflict and Environment Observatory, 2026, Operation Epic Fury: Emerging environmental harm and risks in Iran and the region, March 2026. https://ceobs.org/operation-epic-fury-emerging-environmental-harm-and-risks-in-iran-and-the-region/ (accessed 13 August 2026).

Leman, M., 2026, The US-Israel war on Iran and how war and conflict are destroying the environment. Greenpeace International, March 18. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/82201/iran-lebanon-war-environment-climate-impacts/ (accessed 16 August 2026).

Al Jazeera English, 2026, The Iran war’s toll on public health and climate | UpFront [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ivcDZOBz4&t=447s (accessed 29 July 2026).

Mansour, O. W., 2026, An analysis of the ecological repercussions of the 2026 Iran war on Iran and the Persian Gulf, May 26. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6832979

Abdulrahman, S. A., 2025, Iraq’s Desertification: The Complication of Environmental Security Issues. Natural Built Social Environment Health 1(1), 83–103. https://doi.org/10.63095/NBSEH.25.720252

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2026, What causes acid rain? February 13. https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain (accessed 10 August 2026).

Gibson, K., Le, D., & Sharghi, A., 2026, The human and environmental costs of the war in Iran. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-human-and-environmental-costs-of-the-war-in-iran/ (accessed 11 August 2026).

Kimball, S., 2026, Iran war damaged as much as $58 billion of energy infrastructure, Rystad estimates. CNBC, April 15. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/15/iran-war-energy-facilities-refinery-pipeline-lng.html (accessed 10 August 2026).

M&S Research Hub, 2026, War, environment, and data: Environmental impacts of the Iran–U.S.–Israel conflict and lessons from Gaza, March 7. https://ms-researchhub.com/home/resources/the-global-economy-this-week/war-environment-and-data-environmental-impacts-of-the-iran-u.s.-israel-conflict (accessed 12 August 2026).

Sénéquier, A., 2026, The war in Iran: A conflict with lasting environmental and health consequences. IRIS, March 13. https://www.iris-france.org/en/the-war-in-iran-a-conflict-with-lasting-environmental-and-health-consequences/ (accessed 12 August 2026).

Lopez, C. T., 2025, Historically successful’ strike on Iranian nuclear site was 15 years in the making. DOD News, June 26. https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/article/4227082/historically-successful-strike-on-iranian-nuclear-site-was-15-years-in-the-maki/.

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, 2025, Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities threatens to wreck diplomatic solution to nuclear proliferation challenges, June 17. https://www.icanw.org/israeli_attack_on_iranian_nuclear_facilities_threatens_to_wreck_diplomatic_solution_to_nuclear_proliferation_challenges (accessed 14 August 2026).

Horne, F., 2026, The pollution that outlives war. Al Jazeera, May 23. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/5/23/the-pollution-that-outlives-war (accessed 17 August 2026).

Masud, M.M., 2026, Geopolitical Conflict, Energy Shocks, and Global Sustainability: Development Implications of the Iran-Israel Conflict. International Journal of Education Studies and Social Science Research 1(3), 34–55. https://ijesssr.com/pub/index.php/ijesssr/article/view/17

Solaja, O., 2026, War beyond the battlefield: Environmental and human security in Iran. European Center for Populism Studies, March 9. https://www.populismstudies.org/war-beyond-the-battlefield-environmental-and-human-security-in-iran/ (accessed 19 August 2026).